Eighteen NFL weeks are in the books and Black quarterbacks definitely ran the gamut of experiences this season. We had some superstars go down and some less-heralded brothers step up. Some showed promise for the future and others are looking at the end of the road. It’s our final weekly Black QB roundup, as we rank which signal callers SOARED and which SUNK during their regular-season finales on Sunday.
SOAR
Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys
Prescott was very good in a 51-26 win over the Eagles, tossing a career-high five touchdown passes. He also broke the Cowboys’ single season record for touchdowns passes in a season with 37. Tony Romo previously held the franchise record of 36.
As impressive as Prescott’s numbers were, his Cowboys will be judged on how they fare in the postseason. Dallas is a franchise that’s won just three playoff games since 1996 but is always talked about on the media circuit as if they are elite. This was supposed to be a Super Bowl or bust year. Let’s see how they handle the pressure.
Season Stats: Dak passed for 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions
"The stats and all that, the way we finished was great. It's what we wanted to do, build momentum, get in a rhythm – but none of that matters anymore. You get into this tournament, and it's one game at a time. It's must-win. So that's the focus." #WPMOYChallenge Prescott
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 9, 2022
Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
The KC maestro was efficient in a tough (28-24) win over the Broncos. The win locked up the No. 2 overall seed in the AFC playoffs for the Chiefs. Mahomes passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. After a rocky first eight games, Mahomes threw just three picks and 19 touchdowns over the last two months of the season. The key for K.C. will be which defense shows up in the postseason and the health of dynamic pass catcher Tyreek Hill, who’s been hobbled by a bum ankle.
BALL. GAME. pic.twitter.com/cy43HJrgfZ
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 9, 2022
Season Stats: 4,839 passing yards, 37 touchdown and 13 interceptions
Russell Wilson — Seattle Seahawks
If Sunday was Russell Wilson’s final game in a Seahawks uniform, he is going out a winner — and who’s surprised by that? Russ was cooking again in a 38-30 road win over the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson went 15-for-26 for 238 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Wilson has always taken care of the football, with only 87 interceptions in his 10-year career.
He was vintage DangeRuss, controlling the tempo of the game and making those off-schedule plays that have become synonymous with his arsenal. The Seahawks played hard the last couple weeks with nothing to play for, and that’s a sign of Wilson’s leadership. The offseason will rumor mill will be ablaze with two prominent Black QBs possibly on the move (Wilson and Deshaun Watson).
Season Finale W!!!! pic.twitter.com/HAifSzkT60
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) January 10, 2022
Season Stats: Wilson passed for 3,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions
SUNK
Kyler Murray — Arizona Cardinals
The dynamic dynamo was solid, but his team’s loss cost them the NFC West division title. Murray was 28-39 for 240 yards and one touchdown. But he didn’t do enough. Six of his 11 incompletions came with receivers wide open, something that’s become a trend during Murray’s stretch of erratic play. The Cardinals need him to be better, and they also need a healthy James Conner and DeAndre Hopkins back for the postseason.
On to the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/ehubMRZLkx
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 10, 2022
Season Stats: Murray passed for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 388 yards and five touchdowns
Tyler Huntley — Baltimore Ravens
Huntley did an admirable job filling in for the injured Lamar Jackson this season, but his luck ran out on Sunday in miserable weather in Baltimore. Huntley went 16-for-31 for 141 yards and two interceptions. He looked like a backup and struggled all day against the Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush.
He did finish with 72 yards rushing on 12 carries, and as far as Huntley’s future is concerned, the free agent has probably shown enough for some franchise to offer him a chance to compete for a starting position. Maybe the Ravens will pay him starter money to remain Jackson’s backup.
"We gotta translate this hurt… We gotta translate that into our offseason." @_SNOOP1 pic.twitter.com/qmUNwVK3W5
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 9, 2022
Season Stats: Huntley passed for 1,081 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns
More news from our partners:
The Return Of J.J. Watt Changes Everything For The Cardinals’ Super Bowl Hopes
